AJA Video Systems today announced v4.0 firmware for its HELO H.264 streaming, recording and encoding device. HELO v4.0 adds new features that allow users to customize their streaming service and offer improved monitoring and control for live stream workflows. 

New AV Mute allows HELO users to personalize the viewing experience with their own service branding by supplying an image to be streamed while muting audio and video streams. The user-supplied still image can be streamed until the video feed is ready to go live or if any technical difficulties arise. New Event Logging allows users to monitor the activity of the encoder, making it easier to identify and troubleshoot service connection issues. The release also adds Korean and Japanese support to the UI, making HELO more accessible to users in some parts of the world.

HELO v4.0 feature highlights include: 

•    AV Mute: The user can toggle a web UI control to mute the video and audio while maintaining the stream to the end viewer. When audio and video are muted, a user-customizable still image is encoded and streamed instead of the incoming video. 
•    Event Logging: Export an event log for all HELO activity on the web UI in a separate browser window or export as a .TXT or .CSV file for deeper analysis and troubleshooting.
•    Enhanced Language Support: Access the HELO web UI in the Japanese and Korean languages.

Pricing and Availability
HELO v4.0 will be available May as a free download from AJA’s website. HELO is available now for $1295 US MSRP. For more information, visit: www.aja.com/products/helo.

About HELO
AJA HELO is an affordable, flexible stand-alone H.264 streaming and recording device. Combining 3G-SDI and HDMI I/O into a single appliance, it allows users to stream out to a CDN while simultaneously encoding and recording H.264 files to either SD cards, USB storage or network-based storage.